45th Club Championships 2010

2010 Club Champion: Joel Beggs

18 players entered the 2010 Club championships in 2 separate tournaments : 9 for the Andy Miitel Championship shield, and 9 for the John Baynham Reserves shield. Both events are very even in strength, with no obvious favourites, and this promises a lively contest for both titles.

Prior to the commencement of play, a discussion of updated championship rules was held, with the new rules and regulations being adopted with slight modifications.

Round 1

Jamie Brotheridge faced Chris Segrave in a Caro-Kann Defence. The game was pretty even early on, but White eventually won a pawn in a lively middle game. White pushed hard and gained a second Queen before Black resigned.
James Eldridge versus Rod Jacobs was an Italian Game. A tough, hard fought game, Black gained some pressure, squeezed, and succeeded in gaining a winning position in the endgame after material was traded off.
Joel Beggs also played the Italian against Kevin Perrin. White won a pawn with a clever tactical trick in the middle game. Black fought hard, but White gained control and overwhelmed Black with a mating attack. A strong game by White.
Rob Loveband met Patrick Cook. What began as a sort of Queen’s Indian morphed into an odd Steinitz French. White maintained a slight initiative throughout but was unable to break through and the game petered out to a draw.
Peter Miitel had the bye.

Round 2

At the request of Patrick Cook, who was indisposed, round 2 was played first!
Peter Miitel faced Jamie Brotheridge in a Queen’s Indian. Wary of each other, they agreed an insipid draw after 15 moves.
Chris Segrave took on James Eldridge in a King’s Indian. Black won a pawn early, and later gave up a Bishop for 2 more pawns. White missed some chances, and Black went on to win in the endgame.
Rod Jacobs met Joel Beggs and played the Fried Liver Attack in the Italian Opening. Black misplayed it, and his King was forced to take an early stroll. White lost his way in the middlegame complications and Black was able to consolidate and went on to score a fine win.
In the other big match-up, Kevin Perrin played Rob Loveband in a Catalan-type structure. Excellent positional play by White forced Black to give up his Queen for rook and piece. White failed to capitalise on his advantage and Black found a way to hold the draw.
Patrick Cook had the bye.

Some late games...

Round 3

Only two games were played on the night.
James Eldridge versus Peter Miitel was a Sicilian. An uncompromising theoretical battle ensued, with dynamic equilibrium being maintained for much of the game. Black missed some chances before White incomprehensibly offered a draw in a winning position!
Rob Loveband faced the ambitious Rod Jacobs in a Dutch Leningrad. A real fight, the game went long into the night. Black played aggressively and White eventually succumbed to the pressure, blundering a piece.
Joel Beggs versus Chris Segrave and Patrick Cook versus Kevin Perrin were postponed. Jamie Brotheridge had the bye.

Round 4

Jamie Brotheridge versus James Eldridge was a Kings Indian Defence. Typically, White launched a massive King-side pawn storm early in the middlegame and appeared set to overwhelm the Black position. White’s forces were somewhat overextended and his King very exposed and Black was able to snatch a draw via a well timed perpetual check.
Peter Miitel faced the rampaging leader Joel Beggs and surprisingly adopted the Italian Opening, a specialty of his opponent! After some sharp opening play, White conceded the exchange and offered a draw. Black declined and went on the attack, building up a strong position. White defended with all his technical skill, but was unable to prevent Black reaching a winning end game.
Rod Jacobs took on Patrick Cook in his standard French Defence, but adopted a non-standard line of the Winawer variation and quickly had Black out of his book knowledge. White was unable to make much of his initiative and Black gradually untangled his position. With mass exchanges looming, a draw was agreed.
Chris Segrave versus Rob Loveband was postponed.
Kevin Perrin had the bye.

Round 5

An important round after the catch-up round last week. Joel Beggs faced Jamie Brotheridge in a Sicilian Dragon. A typically cut and thrust struggle in the opening phase led to an uncompromising battle in the middle game in which Black secured a pawn advantage while keeping White’s attack at bay. Black won a second pawn and reached a winning end game, but failed to finish White off, and, in trying to avoid a perpetual check, blundered a rook and resigned. A catastrophe for Black!
Rob Loveband versus Peter Miitel was a Queen’s Gambit Accepted. Black tried to hold the pawn, and managed to do so into the middle game. White was able to harass the Black King and eventually won with an elegant checkmate.
Patrick Cook took on Chris Segrave who played a Slav Defence. Black ventured a few early threats before retreating and White proceeded to tie Black to an awkward position before breaking through and winning Blacks Queen.
Kevin Perrin met the rejuvenated Rod Jacobs who once again adopted the Dutch Leningrad. In a positional battle, Black gained some space and gradually increased the pressure in a long game. After finally reaching a complex position, Black won the tactical skirmish to register the full point.
James Eldridge had the bye.

Round 6

Jamie Brotheridge took on Rob Loveband in a Queen’s Gambit Accepted. Black clung to the pawn into the middle game where the players had castled on opposite sides. White’s fierce King-side attack looked good, but Black’s timely counter-attack on the opposite wing won material and White resigned in the face of inevitable defeat.
James Eldridge surprised the tournament leader Joel Beggs with a King’s Gambit! Black declined the pawn offer, but it proved to be a sharp opening phase anyway. In the middle game tactical melee, Black won a pawn and gained a dangerous attack. White survived into a lost end game and didn’t last long.
Peter Miitel met Patrick Cook and returned to his favourite London/Colle system. After missing a chance for a long term positional advantage, White played some lack lustre moves and dropped the exchange, prompting a disillusioned resignation.
Chris Segrave versus Kevin Perrin was postponed. Rod Jacobs had the bye.

Round 7

Rob Loveband met James Eldridge in a Modern Defence via an attempted Kings Indian. White gained space and Black found himself in an increasingly cramped position. White won the exchange and continued to press, eventually obtaining a winning position.
Patrick Cook faced his fierce rival Jamie Brotheridge who adopted the Dutch Defence. White played a sideline that quickly became a tactical skirmish that ended suddenly when Black stumbled into mate while trying to relieve the pressure.
Kevin Perrin versus Peter Miitel was a Slav Defence. White built up strong pressure into the middle game and gained a powerful position, prompting an early resignation.
Rod Jacobs faced Chris Segrave in a Caro-Kann. Again, White gained space, then a piece with an attack against the Black King, then won Black’s Queen. White made short work of his opponent from there.
Tournament leader Joel Beggs had the bye.

Earlier in the week, the postponed Round 3 game Joel Beggs versus Chris Segrave was played. Black again chose the solid Caro-Kann Defence. White sacrificed a pawn for the iniative in the opening, regained it with advantage in the middle game and went on to win efficiently.

Round 8

Peter Miitel took on Rod Jacobs in Black's favourite Leningrad Dutch. White was slow to develop,
conceded space, but had a solid position. Black found himself about to lose a pawn when White
offered a draw. Black thought about for quite some time before accepting.
James Eldridge versus Patrick Cook was played a few weeks ago. An Alekhine Defence, Black
won a pawn in the early middlegame with a clever tactical sequence and set about consolidating.
Black then won more material and gained a decisive advantage after fending off a perpetual
check attempt.
Jamie Brotheridge surprised everyone by playing Larsen's Opening against Kevin Perrin. White gained
space and control of the centre before pushing too hard on the Queen-side and dropping a pawn.
Despite his edge, Black lost control of the game and White pounced to score the full point.
The big game was the showdown between last years joint winners Joel Beggs and Rob
Loveband. Joel was allowed to play another Italian Game and quickly won a pawn in the opening.
He then launched an attack with a piece sacrifice, and won another pawn, before finishing Black
off with a brilliant mating attack. Only Patrick Cook can now catch the rampaging tournament
leader by winning his last two games.
Chris Segrave had the bye.

Round Eight Results

Round 9 - 11

The big showdown, to decide the championship, was between 7 times champion Patrick Cook and the runaway tournament leader Joel Beggs. A Catalan Opening, White got what he was after: a slight edge from the opening. Black played a careful, disciplined game and gradually opened up the position, relieving the pressure. With the game heading for a draw, White accepted Black's offer and congratulated the new champion.
Kevin Perrin met James Eldridge in a Dutch Leningrad. White went for immediate Queen-side expansion and pushed on with all material still on the board, and duly broke through, gaining a decisive material advantage.
Rod Jacobs faced Jamie Brotheridge in a Sicilian. White gained a big lead in development but was unable to prevent Black from getting into the game and creating some counter-chances. With the game looking drawish, White blundered deep in the endgame, dropping a piece and the game.
Chris Segrave took on a demoralized Peter Miitel in another Sicilian. White developed logically and smoothly in the face of Black’s lightning play and was rewarded with a pawn and a tremendous attack. Black simply resigned rather than be put to the sword.
Rob Loveband had the bye.

Reserves Round 10

Reserves Round 11

The last three games from the 2010 championship were played in good time this year. From round 3, Patrick Cook versus Kevin Perrin was a Slav. These two giants of the club have met 26 times in the championship and showing due respect for each other a careful, but not uninteresting, draw was the result. This left Patrick in outright 2nd., undefeated.
The round 4 game Chris Segrave versus Rob Loveband ended in a win for Black, enabling Rob, the defending champion, to share 3rd with Rod Jacobs.
Chris Segrave versus Kevin Perrin from round 6 was a Colle. White got into time trouble and blundered a piece, so Kevin finished with a 50% score.
2010 was clearly Joel Beggs’ tournament : a dominating performance of 7/1/2 out of 8.

Here is the 2010 Reserve Champion, Boris Skontra, receiving his medal from Patrick Cook. He played in the inaugural championship 50 years ago!

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The A grade plays for the Andy Miitel Championship trophy, and the B grade for John Baynham Reserves title. Andy Miitel was a former club president who was instrumental in revitalising and reconstituting the club in the mid nineteen sixties after the club had become somewhat moribund in the early sixties. John Baynham was an important club administrator in the late sixties and early seventies.